Carpet | Installation

Being knowledgeable and prepared for the big day when the new
carpeting will transform your home is very important. Being
ready for the installation of your carpet will make the entire
process go faster and more efficiently. Knowing what to expect
and being prepared will also be a lot less stressful on you,
your family and your home.

Use a professional - some of these basics follow:

Seams

seaming diagram is the installers' "blueprint" for overall
layout, seam placement and transition

professionals know how to deal with seams best

seams are inevitable

professionals excel at minimizing and hiding seams

professionals insure seams are placed away from pivoting
traffic, and not perpendicular to doorway openings

some styles show seam tape more than others, called
telegraphing or peaking

peaking is seen more in low cut pile and looped carpets

a tight seam can still be seen

sometimes extra carpet is ordered to better match patterns
at the seams

Transitions

when two different flooring products meet like carpet to
wood

professional installers will try to match the surface
heights to minimize transitions.

What to know and do before installation day

Furniture is step one

remove all furniture

additional charges occur for moving furniture

empty the contents of china cabinets, closets

Know what to do with your present floor
covering

consider removal of old floor covering, sometimes messy and
time consuming

if you remove it, do it at least one day before for cleanup
and floor preparation

leave tack strips in place

pull the staples out of the floor from the original pad

painted baseboards, woodwork and paint may need retouching; this is your responsibility

Subflooring

may need preparation for new carpet - leave this to the
pros

Doors

doors may not clear the new carpet and swing freely

a professional can remove doors and re-hang, if possible

they will shave or cut down to insure clearance at an
additional cost

Clean-up

installing new carpet will produce waste

materials are usually collected by your installer and left
at your trash collection site

hauling away is usually an additional cost

What to know and do during installation day

Installation day

Be prepared to be at home the day of installation and be
available in case the installation crew has questions. Your
presence will insure that the correct carpet is installed in
the right areas.

some installers may not be able to give you an exact time
of arrival

be flexible and keep in touch with your retailer/installer

Safety

installers use tools and techniques that can make the work
area hazardous

make sure that children and pets are kept out of the work
area

The walk-through

prior to the completion of the installation, walk-through the
job with the chief installer

this gives you the opportunity to ask questions about final
details

What to know and do after installation day

for odor sensitivity, good ventilation is important

some of the chemicals and adhesives in carpet can smell
for 48 to 72 hours

be prepared to provide the room with adequate ventilation

Fixing post-installation problems

shedding is a natural part of a new carpet

frequent vacuuming for the first few days should help

sprouting is the small tufts or loops that are visible
afterwards

use small scissors to trim the loose fibers flush with the
carpet's surface